?GRI Goes Digital
12 November 2013 at 9:55 pm
The world’s largest sustainability reporting framework has released a free online tool to help companies track their progress and enhance their reporting.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is providing the tool to complement the new GRI G4 Guidelines and support users directly involved in a G4-based reporting process.
“G4 Online will make the experience of reporting easier. For report authors, it provides a more convenient way to navigate G4 content, with key terms and definitions just a click away,” Nelmara Arbex, GRI’s Chief Advisor on Innovation in Reporting, said.
“We are very curious to know users’ reactions to this first version of G4 Online.”
The G4 guidelines, launched in May 2013, are the fourth generation of GRI Guidelines and are available to interested companies free of charge.
G4 Online is aimed at users familiar with the Reporting Principles and Standard Disclosures of the G4 Guidelines.
The platform’s features include:
- Access to definitions of key terms and concepts
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Access to information referenced in the G4 text, such as references to other globally recognised sustainability reporting frameworks, via links to third party websites
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Ability for organisations to link to G4 content directly from their reports, web sites, blogs, forums or social network sites.
The GRI said upon the platform's release that G4 Online will allow users to view G4 content in a more convenient and integrated way by combining the previously separate Implementation Manual and Reporting Principles and Standard Disclosures.
In the coming months the organisation will gather user feedback and carry out consultations with experts, which will be used to inform further development of G4 Online.
The purpose of the GRI framework is to enable companies and organisations to report on their economic, environmental, social and governance performance.
Australia has been strategically allocated a GRI Focal Point office. Focal Points are national offices that drive GRI activity in particular countries and regions.
The GRI’s Sustainability DIsclosure Database currently lists 207 registered Australian organisations.
Recently the GRI Focal Point Australia and Sustainable Business Australia announced an alliance with a mission to advocate for a higher standard of corporate reporting in Australia.
Recent research undertaken by CPA Australia in conjunction with the University of Sydney Business School compared sustainability reporting by the largest companies using the previous G3.1 GRI Guidelines on the Australian, London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
It found that Australian companies disclosed the most about the environment and were more likely to produce integrated reports but were less likely to seek external assurance for their sustainability reports.
Australian companies planning to use G4 Online during their next phase of reporting can become part of the “Surfing on G4 Online” users group by emailing g4online@globalreporting.org.
